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Old 01-10-2013, 01:59   #43
fox33c1
Asset
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 18
While I've been here for a bit, I prefer to read and STFU

But here, in this thread, the crux of the matter is value. What are we worth, as a whole and as an individual.

Because of the tangible and intangible assets we bring to bear, and our current state of affairs, we are indispensable as a whole. If judgment is passed by OPTEMPO and priorities in procurement, we are pretty far up the food chain.

When it comes to value on an individual level, the best metric, from an complete organizational perspective, is compensation. As a business owner, I pay the most for what is most important to the success of organization, the army is not different. E-1's make shit and O-9's make a shit ton.

This is where I think the army differs greatly from the other services when it come to special operations. For the most part I think the army likes Special Forces, but it fucking hates a Green Beret. Let me elaborate on this for a second.

By contrast, the navy loves NSW and it's individual SEALS. While from time to time I think they are the Jersey Shore of USASOC, they pull their weight (mostly), and are a PR boon for the Navy as a whole. A few more nuke subs are operating (and therefore an O-6 billet) just because of NSW. They get whatever they ask the navy for. Culturally the navy is run by carrier and sub guys, they couldn't give two shits about how NSW conducts business. Considering how much PR a SEAL brings in to the navy, they have VALUE and are compensated very well by comparison.

Now outside of USASOC or USASFC nobody really even knows who we are or what we do. Most conventional commanders have this drill sargent with language skills and bad hair notion about us. We all know what conventional SGM's think of us. The conventional army is the army, the products of Camp McCall is the antithesis of the products of Ft. Bliss. Not a good position to be odd in a culture that freaks out over reflect belts and hand in your pockets. In the grand scheme of things we have little sway and little influence. We have on an individual basis very little value to the entire army as a whole. Our compensation individually, when compared to other SOF, reflects that.

The only time in recent memory we came out of the shadow and brought widespread attention to ourselves, AFG 2001-2002, we were publicly lauded. All the while Conv. SGM's were having full blown circle of willis aneurisms over teams hats and beards. Soon thereafter the full on conventional-isation of SF was under way. AMU and riggers get ball caps, but an ODA oh fuck no. I went to selection in 1995, SF is very different (conventional) now.

To encapsulate what I am saying; the other services view their SOF elements as special and treat them as such, the army views us as something steal doctrine from (AWG) and marginalize. Our pay reflects that, nothing new, surrounded by those that hate you. SHDD
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